Henry M. Morris Biography

Born Henry Madison Morris, October 6, 1918, in Dallas, TX; died after a
series of strokes, February 25, 2006, in Santee, CA. Creationism theorist
and author. For more than 40 years, Henry M. Morris remained one of the
most well-respected, noteworthy voices in creationist circles. In fact,
Morris revived the creationist movement in 1961 with the publication of
The Genesis Flood
, a book in which he tried to corroborate the creationist theory by citing
scientific explanations in support of various elements in the Bible story.
Morris' book touched off a fierce debate between science and
religion and paved the way for the current intelligent design movement
being pushed in some Christian circles. Intelligent design backers believe
a supreme designer had a hand in creating the universe.

Morris was born on October 6, 1918, in Dallas, Texas. As a child, he was
not interested in religion. It was not until late 1930, when he was a
civil engineering student at Rice University, that Morris began studying
the Bible. He quickly accepted the Bible as the impeccable word of God.
Morris graduated from Rice in 1939, then taught civil engineering at the
school from 1942 to 1946. During this time, he became obsessed with
exploring the relationship between science and religion and began
examining the origins of life from both the scientific and religious
viewpoints. He also continued his scientific studies, earning a
master's degree and a doctoral degree in hydraulics from the
University of Minnesota. Next, Morris taught at the University of
Louisiana and Southern Illinois University. In 1957, Morris was named to
head the civil engineering department at the Virginia Polytechnic
Institute and State University.

Over the course of his lifetime, Morris wrote more than 60 books fusing
scientific fact with theology. His most famous book was 1961's
The Genesis Flood: The Biblical Record and its Scientific Implications
. The book is considered an antithesis to Charles Darwin's
Origin of Species
, which argues evolution is responsible for the natural world. Co-written
with theologian John C. Whitcomb,
The Genesis Flood
takes an academic approach to the study of religion, claiming that the
Old Testament creation story is a factual account of how life on this
planet began.

A central focus of the book is the Great Flood—the event that,
according to the Bible, prompted Noah to build the ark. Morris'
book asserts that the earth's current landscape was carved out by
the Great Flood, not by billions of years of erosion. The book also
proposes that the earth's geological fossils and features are not
the result of sedimentary rock forming over billions of years, but in
fact, are the result of the flood, which caused deposits of bones and sand
and rock over a several-week period following the flood. In the book,
Morris also calculated the size of the ark. He wrote that it likely had a
capacity of about 522 railroad cars and was capable of holding 35,000
animals—enough to replenish the earth. Furthermore, the book says
the creation story is true because the earth is only a few thousand years
old; most scientists believe the earth is billions of years old. The book
had many outspoken detractors, including Brown University biologist
Kenneth R. Miller. Speaking to the
Washington Post
, Miller dismissed the book by saying, "They started with a
conclusion—Genesis—and collected facts that appeared to
support it, discarding or misinterpreting any that didn't
fit."

Selling more than 250,000 copies,
The Genesis Flood
spawned the modern creationist movement and at the time of Morris'
death was in its 44th printing. While mainstream scientists spurned the
book's assertions, evangelical Christians used it as a rallying cry
to re-spark the creationist movement. The positive feedback Morris
received prompted him to gather a group of likeminded scientists and
launch the Creation Research Society. Founded in 1963, the organization
was devoted to finding scientific evidence to support the creation story.
Morris, in fact, coined the term "creation science."

In the early 1970s, Morris moved to California and helped start the
Institute for Creation Research, based in Santee. He also co-founded
Christian Heritage College with Tim LaHaye, co-author of the phenomenally
popular end-of-time book series titled
Left Behind
. Now called San Diego Christian College, the school is a scientific
research organization and graduate school that offers degrees in
astro-geophysics, biology, geology, and science education. The school,
which fuses science and religion, has not been without critics. In 1989,
the institute nearly lost its accreditation after the state Department of
Education tried to shutter its doors, arguing that the school's
classes were based more on religious theory than science. The institute
fought the case and retained its accreditation.

Morris was a prolific author. He also wrote 1974's
Scientific Creationism
, 1978's
That You Might Believe
, 1982's
Men of Science; Men of God
and 1989's
The Long War Against God
. He was also an author of scholarly texts, such as 1963's
Applied Hydraulics in Engineering
, which remains a preeminent text on the subject.

During the 1980s, Morris' views received a revival as the concept
of creationism gave way to intelligent design, the belief that the
universe is so complex a supreme designer must be responsible. The debate
over teaching the concept remains mired in the court system and continues
to draw debate among school boards.

While many of Morris' ideas were dismissed by the masses, others
were happy to find a likeminded theorist. As intelligent-design advocate
Paul Nelson told the
Los Angeles Times
, "Ideas can die because there is just no one to think about them.
I love the fact that Dr. Morris kept alive dissent from Darwinian
evolution."

Morris died February 25, 2006, in Santee, California, after a series of
strokes; he was 87. Survivors include his wife of 66 years, Mary Louise;
two sons, three daughters, 17 grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.
Another son preceded him in death.